Recommended Posts

Two men walked into a somewhat upscale bar in Brooklyn, New York. One of them had thought he was seeking audience with a friend. Contacting someone that he could trust in the event that he to come back here, and needed anything. For the most part that was true, but the other had developed an Agenda, and circumstances since that promise was spoken had changed drastically. Man who promised the other, was a far cry from himself, and even further removed from previously stated obligations and directives. A man meeting a friend, instead met with Betrayal, and that Upscale Brooklyn bar had become the stage in which a scene unfolds and escalates, involving a S.H.I.E.L.D grab team, and one lone Superhuman Operative who functioned at street level in this same area. A very well known Man, African American, stout, bald and experienced with quite the reputation in these parts as one of the greatest Hero's of his time. S.H.I.E.L.D currently employs this man under the enhanced Superhuman Imperative, tasking him as an agent for their cause in regulating and policing superhuman/Inhuman activity. Unfortunately for S.H.I.E.L.D and New Avenger Luke Cage, their current objective was no light catch, and wouldn't be so easily subdued.

THOOOOOM!!!!!!!

The south side wall of this establishment would be blown open as Luke's body passed through it and slammed into a Parked Bmw 528xi, the latter hit with enough force to slide across the street, roll onto driver side and slam into the south side wall of the establishment across the street, pinning Cage beneath the car and buildings debris. Clearly whoever, or whatever he was fighting was batting high above his average, and whomever was in fact Protues Rauz, in M-Body/Avatar form, stepping free through the gathered dust veil and out into the street, Clad in street clothes, a simple set of boots, jeans, t shirt and leather jacket, loosely fitted to his 12' Hulking frame.

[GT-1 Leader]"This guy put Cage through a fucking wall he is out, Any other assets in the area? What's the status on The Avengers, Overwatch. Wait....we have visual, it's-----"

The BMW had rustled some and had been rolled and free'd from his back while Cage emerged from the debris, jostled, and rubbing his jaw. "Cancel that ETA, I got this guy..." A females voice of authority quickly quipped back, "The last time he was here he put down Thor, Banner and Wonder Man back to back, Im not looking for a Martyr. Cage wait for help" Guys got experience. Guys got ego and a sense of honor about him. It drives him and compels him in full sprint back across the street, dead center where he'd lead in with an over-hand right that misses by a mile, in part because of Bull's height advantage. Cage's punch is slipped, and next thing he knows he's got knuckles harder then all get out burying into his right row of ribs, breaking them. Cage sucked in air, winces, His SKINS invulnerable his musculature? Only enhanced. So the pain is real, and his right elbow comes down to cradle those powdered ribs before he's struck right side at his exposed lower jaw, jostled, left, and from that left side another brutal right cross, precedes the fist crashing into his solar plexus, again, with his right knee, again with his left knee---Cages Feet never reaching the ground when he was lifted from the first, and finished with right uppercut that tripples down on the same spot that had been hit twice, previously.

His attacker relented...

And Cage dropped to his knee's and spat to the ground the contents of his stomach which was mostly Blood, stomach acids and maybe, just maybe....beer. Cage had been downed. Hard, and Coup De Gras'd with a downward overhand right that buried Cage's entire head into the spitting street beneath it, and jostled buildings and cars for a full 1/4 of a square mile. In his finality, Proteus' eyes had locked with the Grab Team Leaders, before Proteus commanded, "I want to speak to Danvers! I didn't come here for this!"..

Share this post

Link to post

Share on other sites

S.H.I-Task force often Utilizes grab teams often work in symmetry with Supers, to bring down objectives, at least that's usually the plan. Against a certified S-Level threat like the ACTUAL Proteus Rauz, who's upon his prior Earth-Fall was no where NEAR as powerful as he is now and still leveled almost every Super-Team this planet had to throw his way.---Their use and effectiveness were plummeting. At best, they survey'd and kept a perimeter while yet another came into play. The skies were stabbed with lightning, and powerful winds that were once calm surged with enough prominence to shake the cars on the street---as much as Proteus' own steps were as they carried them into the middle of the street where he'd look up to Observe the source of this environmental elemental calamity and he scoffed, "You Gods, and your flare..." She'd bring Mjolnir down. The legendary hammer alight with the storm, lightning arcing wildly within and around the enchanted weapon that had been responsible for smiting many. Trolls. Giants. Elves. Gods-----Proteus would not be added to this list. For all the might of the Vaunted "Thor", the difference in their strength was made painfully clear when Proteus' massive mit viced that striking hand right where it held the hilt of that hammer, and an audible crunching sound could be heard as the super dense bones of a god were broken.

And that god yelled out and tugged wildly, but his arm neither budged or even tilted an inch as he'd bring HER to eye level and examine his attacker in surprise. "The god of Thunder? A woman now? heh heh heh....my my my things have changed here on earth." Mjolnirs flare had barely faded, before a booming sound, so loud that it could be heard as far as Newark, New Jersey, and some would say felt as far to. The hammer fell just at Proteus feet, and the end result had been a punch that had put the god of thunder closer to the bronx, unconscious and sprawled out on the floor of a hardware store partially buried beneath debris. "And some things don't...."

Local police had finally began arriving on the scene and unfortunately would more then likely add to the problem rather then rectify. They were not equipped to even so much as annoy an S-Level threat let alone bring one into custody. However they could establish a perimeter and began evacuating people from the immediate area. Not that it was needed, Proteus had no intent or care in harming innocents be they mortal or empowered, but would not stand by and be assulted or captured. He'd have turned around to put one of the grab team members into view, "Carol Danvers......NOW."

Share this post

Link to post

Share on other sites

Carol Danvers was alotted 5 days out of a year, just 5, out of an entire year that she could claim as her own. "Personals" as she has come to call them. This particular day was being spent in a small bistro in Manhattan, a day date, with a ranking official in the air-force that she was big on at one point, and found herself interested enough in to pursue. Key word---pursue. Carol Danvers wasn't the type to be courted or proposed to. She was an alpha female, she hunted, very rarely did anything HUNT her and win her over. Well....there was one, and currently he is the reason why the both of them look over down to their tables and the many others as the entire establishment shook under a shock-wave.------having one shotted Thor.

"The hell???"

It begins around the same time that she had looked up to the TV at the scene unfolding in Brooklyn. Her <comm. Unit going off and she, Carol Danvers, The Director of Shield and current leader of The Avenger's would rise from the table---and be stuck right where she is, at who she see's.

"P-Proteus????????!"

She was trying to figure this out. He was bigger, older. The hair, the beard, the horns, his entire physique it was all different. It was GREATER, HE was greater but how? Why? For what reason would he return here after making it so very clear that this place wasn't where he wanted to be, that she, wasn't who he wanted to change his life for? These are questions that a foreshadowed by how dangerous a being he is, worse still one being confronted dead center in the middle of heavily populated Brooklyn. She watched on, as she was updated via <comm>

"<Maria Hill> He entered quietly. We only had Luke Cage on hand for intercept, they talked and 5 minutes after he put Luke through a wall, a minute after that, he put him down for the count. Thor went in, and we got the same result, she's out cold in the Bronx. Doesn't seem like he's here to tear up the front lawn, and he's being very specific about who he wants to speak with. Has asked for you by name. The rest of the Avengers are converging on the location. You do know this is a bonafied Omega-level Threat Carol, if he is here to talk I think we should hear him out. 22.7 Billion dollars and 3 member deaths, the rest injured. We can't. Not with him. Not right now...and I want to say he looks to have gotten ALOT stronger."

She had already issued her apologies and left money for the check, and was out the door and in flight to the location..."Tell the teams i'll meet them there, tell the grab teams to stand down, I'll talk with him, let's see what he wants.."

[Meanwhile in brooklyn...]

Heavy footsteps had carried him toward the hammer, Mjolnir and the look on Proteus' face was one to suggest that there was some history with him and the weapon. Not the good kind. "Mighty Mjolnir. It's said that only one who is Worthy can wield you..." He'd reach down and before his fingers even coiled around the hilt of it there was a reaction. Dynamism. Enchantments, ageless and powerful would coil up in defense of the item they've been bounded to ---Only to shatter like Glass. Materializing Planar shards that disperse and fall to the ground at his feet at the moment he gripped the hammer and plucked it from rest on the ground. It wasn't an issue of worthiness, it was as simple as the mysticism applied to the weapon was no where near as powerful as his own, or him. He was superior to it. "I wonder what that makes me then..." quipped before a quick rotation and a step heralded a mighty Throw that would send the mallet rocketing off into the sky where it blitzed through the atmopsheric zones, into space where it would cross the distance between this planet earth and the moon. Worse still, when the Asgardian regained consciousness she'd more then likely find herself reverted back to her mortal form-----and Cut off from Mjolnir altogether as the metaphysical bond had been severed and re-written. The hammer? Unresponsive, it's Owner? Minus the ability to harness it's power...

It was at that moment that his head would swivel in the direction from where he had sensed his objective and with a unwavering gaze he'd stand there at ready for his audience.

Share this post

Link to post

Share on other sites

His eyes never left her. She'd be oblivious to this fact but they hadn't seen her in 10,000 years, for her it had been 10, her look was softer then his. Less intense. Her looks were devoid of the malice that ensconced his. Her body language wasn't nearly as combative, there was still Love there---albeit she was doing her best to be what she was HERE to be. The leader of S.H.I.E.L.D and The Avengers. She had to push her feelings of being a wounded lover deep down into the confinements of her mind and soul. It was a harder balancing act then she thought it would ever be. She thought she would never BE...in this position, ever, not the way he had left. She had looked around, signaling the grab team to stand down, despite them being in her ear telling her that the Young-Avengers were en-route with a 7 minute ETA. Her hands were out, at her sides, cautiously, and slowly she'd let his name roll out from her mouth. "Proteus...?..W-What are you doing here?"

Proteus however was not so awe struck. Where as she was still combating the inner turmoil of feelings not dealt with, Proteus however was devoid of those hang ups. "The artifact. The jewel I gave you to aid you with your binary form. We used it to symbolize our engagement.." There was a brief pause there, just a lapse. It was momentary, and quickly fleeted from him. "Seeing as how that isn't the case, it can be returned and used as intended." She had stepped back and her hand had come to rest at the center of her chest, where a necklace existed beneath her clothing. She would be lying if she said that didn't cherish it for THAT reason. It was all that she had left of a partnership she valued. A Relationship that in all truth she wanted----but just couldn't have if it meant she had to leave this world. Even under those circumstances, she would be hard pressed to relinquish the item. But under the current circumstance, "Proteus.....I. I don't know how to tell you this, so much has happened. Here, and to me. This Jewel...it's practically keeping me alive right now. We had a run in with the Kree and the Chitarui...my powers, my body, was adversely affected and the power of this gem, it's sustaining me. If I remove it, I die.....Is this what you want? Is this what you came all the way here to do?"

His next choice of words would hit her like a dagger. A knife, forcefully rammed into her chest and her soul torn asunder. He didn't hesitate. He didn't falter or stutter over a single word. It came out without hesitation, "Yes." And without so much as a stutter he would begin proceed forward, footsteps thundering and the entirety of the grab team sending information to base and taking information as well. ----Until he was interrupted.

By Amadeus Cho.....current ONE of the few Hulk's occupying the planet at the moment. Unfortunately he had no idea what he had stepped inbetween. This wasn't some fodder, or muscle bound brute that would be intimidated by the tales of or exploits of green skin and rage. Not when he's crushed gods beneath his boots. Not when he's mauled The Original many times over. Protues Rauz had one thing in mind and one thing only, and it was to be vindictive and downright vengeful in the reclaiming of the item he afforded this woman out of love. As far as he was concerned-----she deserved death, for killing his heart the way she did herself. Cho was eager and arrogant. Leaping ahead of his team, ignoring Carols order to "STAND DOWN!!!, CHO!! STAND DOWN!!!"

To late. Brutality had ensued. Cho was LESS of a tactful fighter then even Luke Cage. His overhand right was sloppy. Wide. Slow, and telegraphed. It stood absolutely no chance on landing. That fist was engulfed by the larger one belonging to the Celestial who's head came down immediately after and shattered the bridge of Cho's nose. An absolutely vicious left uppercut that followed landed flush on the chin, hyper extending the neck, singing pain down Cho's spine all the while not relinquishing the hand, he kept his victim close as he dove his fist into Cho's solar-plexus several times in the same spot.---Each blow tantamount in power, the very ground beneath them cracking and giving weigh to the sheer force that was creating an isolated seismic event. A vice around the green goliaths neck with his left---before hoisting him off his feet, he recited it,

-SNAP!!!!-

The Green Goliaths arm, had been broken---Severely. To the point where a massive bone protruded through skin and a harrowing scream was let loose---Heard as far as manhattan..."FLEA...." The massive green frame was thrown, literally tossed aside in mere gesture that would send The Hulk barreling through several establishments before laying to rest, writhing in pain, buried neck deep in debris---While the entirety of his team arrived in horror. There was about to be alot of bodies in Brooklyn...

Share this post

Link to post

Share on other sites

Headstrong and hot headed. Undisciplined. Under-trained. They were lambs being sacrificially thrown on the fire and the powers that be were allowing it. Cowards. All of them. Proteus feels no remorse for what comes of those getting in his way. Even if they are kids. Even if they are innocent and undeserving. Like this child, Kamala Khan, a human, inhuman hybrid who's powers of Polymorphing were awakened by the recent Terrigen Mist incident. Normally, when she takes her Giant Form imposing as it is, many back down or find some sort of cover, having to deal with opposition nearly as tall as a sky scraper.

She is no warrior. She is no fighter, nor is she a hunter or a killer or someone with any predatory sense. Nor was she privvy as to what her opponent was, and what he could do. So when she appeared towering over Proteus, and went to raise her fist to striker him down---She had no idea that he could jump with far better power and speed then her fallen comrade ever could. She had no idea, that he could clear the distance between the ground and the 50 stories in a literal blink of an eye. Nor did she know that i was because she blinked---She missed it. And would barley feel the immense pressure against her jaw---before she blacked out, and was sent toppling backwards, head over feet into and through the building at her rear, and into another, sprawled and knocked out cold out in the street.

And he'd have landed that much closer to Danvers who was issuing orders, "I need the Avengers here NOW!! Push the evac range out, I want this entire island clear!! CHAMPIONS!! STAND DOWN NOW!!"

Riri Williams had never seen anything like what she just saw, and like her inexperienced team mate, allowed her emotions to get the better of her, coming off assignment and zooming down from the skies to scan and check the vitals of her fallen team mate. She was supposed to be keeping aerial tabs, being the eyes for the others who were using the Swarm HUD's, she immediately gets hit with clutter, and she yells back, further disorientating the team, "Im scanning her vitals!! She is fine!!! I lost visual, check last location!" She made a grave error. Taking her attention off of her Scanners and the HUD that may have let her know that something---no, someone was behind her. It wasn't until that massive hand gripped her neck, and fear induced adrenaline took over causing her to kick and scream frantically---Forgetting about her armor. Forgetting about tactic or skill and being gripped by the feeling of helplessness. "You're biggest mistake was caring. More about her then yourself....then you'd have seen me coming, despite how fast I am. Let's see how much you're worth child..."

Carol hand landed just few meters short of him, eyes wide, hands held out and pleading, "PROTEUS NO!..." She kicked. She screamed, She squirmed, she tugged mercilessly at his fingers which were large, and coiled not just around her neck but some of her head and shoulders as well. His grip was unbearable, the structural integrity of her suit was fast becoming compromised. She regrets now more then ever turning down Starks assistance in providing her with ample resources but at the moment----she was at his mercy. And he had, no mercy. His voice was calm, and cool when he spoke...and cold. "Give me the Jewel....or I will snap this childs neck, here and now. I Will NOT...ask more then once."

Share this post

Link to post

Share on other sites

She doesn't think about it. She doesn't mull it over or pick a spot or a method, she just goes. Tapping into the jewel in her chest, heaping in gargantuan helpings of the power it afforded her, she goes into her Binary form. Her skin grew hot. Tearing away the casual attire she wore and beneath it revealing her uniform. Her hair became like that of fire, her eyes, alight with the Quasi-Cosmic energies that mixed and permeated every fiber of her being and every cell in her body. She was supercharged for the task at hand, taking on opposition she knew she did not match. A lover, she never thought she'd have to. The look in his eyes, The sound of that gravely voice, the tone of his aura. There was no mistaking that Proteus meant every word he said. It was evident that he cared LESS about her well being, whether he didn't care at all was to be seen.

She encroached at speed, covering the short distance between them in an instant. Creating so much pressure, so much force on arrival that windows shattered, cars jostled and the ground shuddered and that was all before her fist was caught squarely dead center of his palm---resulting in an even greater eruption of force, coupled with the sound of the Iron-Teenagers body slamming into a near by wall and through it, resting right beside the felled giant. She'd follow with a right, that falls short, as it's parried and several other of her forceful blows met with the same end--the last parry'd again and she was greeted by a headbutt that floored her immediately and set her on her back and into the ground. This was swiftly followed by a pinning left hand, that she clawed at fevershly before bringing her arms up as best as possible to absorb the force set onto her face by the 3 punishing right hands. So much force that the she would be sent down and into the Subway tunnel below, slamming against the floor. She was jostled. Woozy. Barley able to keep conscious. Were she not in this form---She'd be done for. If it wasn't for the way he blotted out the light, she wouldn't have gotten the cue to roll out of the way as he descended and landed in pursuit.

She crawled at first, then flew, then turned around, wiping blood from her mouth, in sheer disbelief at the fact that he'd struck her so. "If I didn't know any better Proteus i'd think you're actually trying to kill me....is this where we are? You hate me that much?" She held her ground---while he approached, and she'd have her answer although it wasn't the verbal kind.

[On the streets above]

The Champions had gathered. Amadeus Cho "The Totally Awesome Hulk" had recovered from his maiming, and both Ironheart and Ms. Marvel were coming back into the realm of consciousness. Finally, The Avengers had finally arrived on scene, adding Experience and resource to their mounting defensive. Tony Stark----Nowadays, having a revolving role in the Avengers roster took point on the situation, and silently, assessed...

"We've got the city in mid evac, we need to isolate him here. Seems dead set on focusing it in on Carol, maybe we can use that. Speaking of Carol where is she?" No sooner then the inquiry concluded a massive Explosion could be heard and felt, then through the street up and into the face of a nearby building Carol went before hitting down and through every single floor before she found stillness on the ground floor. "Found her....." Not to far behind her, he erupted out from the bellows, and back onto the streets, spectating the gathered lot and starting to grow increasingly frustrated. This would force Proteus into a dialogue, "I will only say this once, I came here for one thing and one thing only. Anyone, and anything getting in the way of that----I will kill you outright. Instruct Danvers to give me the Jewel...and I will take my leave, with no further collateral damage."

"Minus that Jewel she dies, there is no way we could willingly do that and you know it, give us time to find an alternative at least!" Proteus didn't bat an eye, he didnt' say anything nor did he do anything, until his head swiveled over to catch Carol stumbling coughing while falling to her knee's. Putting blood on the pavement from some internal injury. She'd look up and at the titan before rising to her feet, catching a look from Proteus that was suggestive of some sort of consideration was being taken.